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In Mini Dinosaur, you are not just playing cards, you are backing dinosaurs in a frantic prehistoric race. Each turn, you either push a dinosaur forward or knock one off the track by playing a card from your hand. At the same time, you are placing bets, trying to predict which dino will come out ahead (or not). It is a little chaotic, often hilarious, and the whole thing wraps up in about fifteen minutes.
Will you pick the right dinosaur to cheer for, or will your favorites stumble right before the finish line?
👥 2-5 players, ages 8+
⌛ Playing time: 15 minutes
📝 Designer: Zong-Ger
🎨 Artwork: Ming
🏢 Publisher: Good Game Studio (review copy provided)
How to Play
At the start of the game, every player gets a hand of dinosaur cards and a set of betting cards. The dinosaur cards come in two flavors. There are running dinosaurs, which move a dinosaur of that color one step forward when played. Then there are slipping dinosaurs, which remove a dinosaur card of that color from the field. If there are no matching dinosaurs around, the card simply goes to the discard pile.
Here is where it gets a little tricky. You cannot rearrange your hand at all. Every turn, you must play the leftmost card you are holding. The only way to get around a bad card is to discard one before playing. It is a small choice, but sometimes it can make all the difference.
Instead of playing a dinosaur card, you can also choose to place one of your betting cards. Over the course of the game, you will place four bets. Two of them must go face-up for everyone to see, while the other two stay hidden until the end. Each betting card scores points based on different conditions, like how many dinosaurs of a color are in play at the end of the game, or which one crosses the finish line first.
The race ends when one dinosaur species reaches five cards on the field or when everyone runs out of actions. Then it is time to reveal bets and count up the points. Whoever scores the highest wins, earning the title of Official Dino Whisperer (or at least bragging rights until the next round).
Our Thoughts
When we first sat down with Mini Dinosaur, the colorful, goofy artwork instantly brought a smile to our faces. The dinosaurs are funny, charming, and bring a lot of life to the table. That said, we did notice that there is not a huge variety in the card art.
Looking at the rules, we honestly expected a little more strategy than what actually plays out. Because you are locked into playing your leftmost card, there is not much you can do to plan ahead or control the race. Sure, there is a tiny bit of tactical thinking when it comes to placing your bets, but even that feels pretty random once three or more players start making chaos everywhere. You might feel clever placing a bet early, but with so much shifting around, it often turns into pure luck whether it pays off.
The truth is, this game is chaos. Pure, dino-sized chaos. And that is not a bad thing, as long as you are in the right mindset. There is a little “push your luck” moment when you decide which bets to place and when, but even though other players can see your face-up bets, there is not much they can do to target you because they are just as trapped by their card order as you are.
So, if you come looking for deep strategy, you will not find it here. But if you want a quick, silly race where anything can happen, Mini Dinosaur definitely delivers.
Best Way to Play?
Mini Dinosaur is at its absolute best when you play it casually. Gather some friends, grab some snacks, and do not worry too much about winning. Just laugh when your top dinosaur gets booted off the field by a rogue slip card.
We found that it plays best with three to five players. With more players, the game changes faster and the race becomes a complete mess in the most entertaining way possible. At lower counts, it can feel a little slow, but with a full group, it turns into a proper prehistoric stampede.
Who Will Enjoy It?
If you are someone who loves quick, unpredictable games that you can just dive into without thinking too hard, Mini Dinosaur is a great pick. It is especially good for family nights, casual gaming groups, or any time you need a light filler game between heavier titles. It also works really well with younger players, thanks to the simple rules and fast pace.
However, if you prefer games where you can plan three turns ahead and carefully execute your strategy, Mini Dinosaur might just leave you feeling a little… extinct. (Hey, it happens to the best of us.)
📝 We received a copy of Mini Dinosaur from Good Game Studio for this review.
